<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Bits of Beskar by CoffeeQuill</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23220046">Bits of Beskar</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeQuill/pseuds/CoffeeQuill'>CoffeeQuill</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Love Like You [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Mandalorian (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Accidental Baby Yoda Acquisition, Adorable Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV), Beskar Steel, Cute Ending, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Mandalorian Culture, Other, Playing Pretend</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:06:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,703</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23220046</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeQuill/pseuds/CoffeeQuill</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“He may be too small for such weight,” she says. “Any decent protection may be too much.”</p><p>“Not full armor,” he says. “I was thinking vambraces. Enough to show, but not real protection. Thinner, lighter. It would have to be redone if he still grows, but it would be enough.”</p><p>“Hm.” The Armorer looks at him, then nods. “I see what you mean. I will see what can work.”</p><p>-----</p><p>The child receives his first beskar armor.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Baby Yoda &amp; The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), The Armorer &amp; The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV) &amp; Paz Vizla</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Love Like You [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1581040</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>110</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>927</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Bits of Beskar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A short story within the series, and a needed fluff break from their angsty adventures--especially in these stressful times. How baby Kuiil got his first beskar vambraces.</p><p>Stay safe, everyone!!</p><p>Join the <a href="https://discord.gg/UwZuG6N">Covert discord</a>.<br/>Follow my <a href="https://coffeequill.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a>.<br/></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A day comes when Din knows that the kid has grown. It’s no longer a trick of the light or an odd angle that tricks his perception. The kid <em> has </em>grown. He’s taller. Better at walking, rather than just the slow waddle he’d had before. Better at grasping things, at moving them around, not dropping them. His speech comes along the fastest.</p><p>He’s still rather difficult to understand at times, but when Kuiil learns to speak, it’s like he doesn’t want to shut up. He’ll babble about anything at anyone, sometimes so quickly that the words he <em> does </em>know aren’t pronounced correctly. Sometimes he just points at things and says their name, sounding so delighted each time like he’s just discovered it.</p><p>“He’s happy here,” Paz says, watching the kid wander around and lift his toys into the air.</p><p>Din shifts. “How old does he look to you?” he asks. “If he were human. How old would you guess he is?”</p><p>Paz tilts his head to the side. “Maybe three,” he says. “Between three and four.”</p><p>“When we came here, Ali’i said eighteen months. Still a baby. He’s gotten a lot older.”</p><p>“It’s a lot of change when he’s fifty years old.”</p><p>Din frowns, fiddling with his vambrace. “Almost too much.” He watches the kid turn and glance back at him, that reassurance still needed that he’s there. “I… have a theory. But I don’t know.”</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>“When I found him, he was… shut up in a pram. A blanket thrown over it. I wouldn’t have even noticed it without the tracking fob. If that was his life before seeing the sun, well… would that stunt his growth?”</p><p>Paz is quiet for a moment. “And since then, he’s had conditions to thrive,” he says. “That sounds reasonable. I think it’s a good guess.”</p><p>Din lets out a breath. “Means I’m doing something right, I guess.”</p><p>“You’ve been doing fine.” Paz shifts. “Does he wear beskar?”</p><p>“He has my pendant,” Din says. “The matriarch made a new one for me.”</p><p>“What about <em> beskar’gam?” </em></p><p>Din frowns. “He doesn’t… <em> need </em>any.”</p><p>“None of the children do. But he is <em> Mando’ade. </em>He should have something more.”</p><p>Din mumbles beneath his breath and watches the kid. He’s wandering back now, letting out soft whimpers as he walks to Din and holds his arms up. <em> “Buir,” </em>he sniffs. “Hun—hungrin.”</p><p>“Hungry,” Din says, and he picks him up.</p><p>“Hungry.” Kuiil whines and curls up into the crook of his arm.</p><p>He gives Paz a nod and turns, walking out to find the kitchens. Kuiil is squirmy but otherwise quiet in his arms, finally settling with his cheek pressed against his cuirass. Din glances down at him, then steps into the kitchen.</p><p>But he can’t think much on food.</p><p>Paz’s words stick in his mind, and suddenly, Kuiil having little to no beskar is suddenly a bigger problem than he thought. Even when he puts together a small lunch, when the rest of the day drags on, when they’re tucked into bed. The thoughts don’t leave him.</p><p>So instead, he plans.</p><p> </p><p>It’s not hard to find the Armorer. She’s usually at the forge, occasionally elsewhere, but the covert is small anyway. He steps into the room, free of company, and sits to wait.</p><p>She hammers away at a piece of beskar, almost as though she is ignoring him, but soon the particular piece is finished and she sets it aside before walking down. She nods to him, and he nods back, before she sits across from him.</p><p>“Troubles?” she asks.</p><p>“Not troubles,” he says. “Kuiil is bigger. Paz asked about him wearing beskar.”</p><p>She’s quiet a moment. “I believe you gave him your mythosaur pendant,” she says. “As your <em> buir </em>had given to you.”</p><p>Din nods. “He wears it,” he says. “But only under his shirt. I think he should have something else more… prominent. A form of <em> beskar’gam.” </em></p><p>“He may be too small for such weight,” she says. “Any decent protection may be too much.”</p><p>“Not full armor,” he says. “I was thinking vambraces. Enough to show, but not real protection. Thinner, lighter. It would have to be redone if he still grows, but it would be enough.”</p><p>“Hm.” The Armorer looks at him, then nods. “I see what you mean. I will see what can work.”</p><p>Din smiles to himself. “Great,” he says.</p><p> </p><p>When he tells the kid that there’s a surprise for him, he lights up. “Supise? Supise!” Kuiil shrieks, looking delighted.</p><p>“Shh,” Din says, scooping him up. “You’ll have to wait, but you can watch.”</p><p>He’s quiet on the way there, but his wriggles are certain that he’s overly excited, almost bouncing out of Din’s arms. They make the walk down to the forge. The hammering draws closer, and that’s enough for Kuiil to calm, becoming still in Din’s arms as he looks with wide eyes.</p><p>They can’t play near the forge. He doesn’t get to come in here often.</p><p>The Armorer is working as they enter, and Din sits again, this time with Kuiil in his lap. <em> “Buir?” </em>Kuiil whispers, but Din only strokes his ear and then holds him. He falls quiet again, watching the fire.</p><p>Once the piece has been finished, the Armorer steps down. She walks to the table of tools, then picks up a smaller object before walking over. Din sees that it’s measuring tape. Kuiil only stares up at her.</p><p>She holds her hand out to him. He’s frozen for a moment before he reaches out and she gently takes hold of his wrist, slipping the tape around it. “There’s beskar leftover from your… adventures,” she says. “Fitting for him to have some.”</p><p>“He should,” Din says, his voice soft.</p><p>Kuiil stares as he is measured, around his wrist and then beneath his elbow, on one arm and then the other. The Armorer makes note of the measurements, then leans back. “It will take some time but not long,” she says.</p><p>Din nods, and Kuiil leans back into his lap, quiet but attentive. “Wha’ is it?” he whispers, looking straight up at Din.</p><p>The Armorer steps up to the forge and adjusts the heat. Din looks down at Kuiil, then adjusts him. “Vambraces,” he says. “Like mine. See?”</p><p>He holds out his arm, touching the vambrace. Kuiil stares at it, then reaches out to touch it. “Ohhh,” he whispers, eyes the size of a moon. He looks at the forge and watches as the Armorer walks to the table of tools, reaches beneath a curtain, and pulls out a bar of beskar.</p><p>Din doesn’t need to see the Imperial engraving. It’s going to disappear.</p><p>Kuiil is fascinated as he watches the bar be picked up by tongs and placed into the forge, the fire hissing against the metal, the distinct bubbling as the beskar begins to melt. “They’re mine?” he whispers. “Mine?”</p><p>“Yes, yours.”</p><p>Kuiil squirms, trying to get down. “Wanna see!”</p><p>“No. Shh.” Din holds him in place. “You have to wait. And be quiet.”</p><p>Kuiil huffs, then instead blows a raspberry as he leans back against Din, falling silent.</p><p>The energy doesn’t disappear, though. He keeps moving, keeps adjusting, watching with eager eyes as the Armorer carves a mold. <em> “Buir,” </em> he whines eventually. He stands up on Din’s legs, trying to stretch up and look. “Wanna <em> see.” </em></p><p>“No,” Din says. “If you’re not patient, you won’t get them. Be good.”</p><p>That seems to do the trick. Kuiil plops back down and wriggles his toes, looking up at Din. “I’m good,” he says. “Good!”</p><p>“Shhh.”</p><p>The next few minutes are full of excitement but the kid does his best to sit still. He’s restless in Din’s lap but he just pats his hands against his beskar to expel the energy, freezing to watch whenever something seems to happen at the forge. When the mold is brought over, he stares, and then looks up at Din. “Wha’s that?”</p><p>“The shape,” Din says. “So it fits right.”</p><p>“Oh.” Then he looks at Din again. “Being good.”</p><p>“You are being good.” He gives the kid a gentle squeeze.</p><p>When the hammering begins, it makes Kuiil jump in surprise but then lean forward. “What now?”</p><p>“To condense it,” Din says. The kid just stares at him. “... To make it right.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>It doesn’t take long with the vambraces being small. They sit in silence and Kuiil doesn’t squirm, just watching the Armorer work with interest, nose and ears twitching occasionally.</p><p>In the kid’s mind, it must be taking hours.</p><p>But soon, the Armorer steps away from the forge, two small objects in her hands, and walks down to them. Kuiil immediately begins to squirm again, pushing himself to stand up. Din steadies him with a hand on his back as the Armorer sits in front of them again, the two vambraces that are so <em> small. </em></p><p>“Mine?” Kuiil whispers.</p><p>“Yes.” There’s a smile in the Armorer’s voice. Kuiil stands at the edge of the table, his hands planted on the top, but holds one arm out. The Armorer takes one and his arm, gentle in placing it on. The undersides clip together. Then the other arm, clipping together. “How do they feel?”</p><p>Kuiil just looks down, staring at them.</p><p><em> “Ad’ika.” </em>Din leans forward. “Do they fit?”</p><p>Kuiil nods vigorously, grinning. Then he giggles, reaching to press on the small buttons placed on each brace. Without programming, they only <em> click, </em> but he looks delighted anyway. He whips around and holds his arms out. <em> “Buir!” </em>he shrieks. “Like yours!”</p><p>“Just like mine,” Din says, unable to hold back his own smile. <em> “Gedeteyar. </em>What do you say?”</p><p>The kid looks back at the Armorer, suddenly a little quieter. <em> “Vor… vor entye,” </em>he says.</p><p><em> “Ba’gedet’ye,” </em>she says. “Take care of them.”</p><p>He nods, then goes back to pressing the buttons. Din nods to the Armorer, who returns it, and scoops the kid up and turns, walking to the door.</p><p>One step out the door and they all but crash into Ali’i and Ari, each quickly stepping back and out of the other’s way. “Sorry,” Din mutters.</p><p>The kid, however, is barely fazed. “Ri! Ri!” he cries, holding out his arms. “Look!”</p><p>Ari steps up to look down at the vambraces. “Whoa,” she says. “Those are cool.”</p><p>Kuiil beams.</p><p>“Shiny, too,” Ali’i says, warmth in her voice. “They’re beautiful, Kuiil.”</p><p>The kid returns to staring at the vambraces and tapping the buttons, seeming thrilled by the mere clicking. Din smiles, then bids goodbye to the two for the both of them, then turns and walks on.</p><p>They don’t get far before meeting another person, this time Paz and Griphin as they talk. Din means to just walk past, but Kuiil spots them and immediately wriggles to turn in Din’s arms. <em> “Ba’vodu! Ba’vodu!” </em></p><p>Both Mandalorians look up. <em> “Ad’ika,” </em>Paz greets, his voice warm.</p><p>“Look!”</p><p>He squirms so hard that Din lowers to a knee and places him down on the floor, and he immediately toddles up to Paz and holds out his arms. Paz crouches down to look, comically big compared to the child, and gently takes hold of his arm to look.</p><p>“Ah,” he says. “You’ve got your beskar.”</p><p>“Beskar!” Kuiil giggles. He holds his arms up. “Up!”</p><p>Paz lifts him up into his arms and Kuiil is quick to plant two hands against Paz’s cuirass, looking up at him. “I’m just like you!” he says, before mashing several buttons. “Boom!”</p><p>Paz and Griphin both laugh. “That you are, <em> verd’ika,” </em> Paz says, and he gives Kuiil a toss into the air. The boy shrieks before being caught again, laughing, and he’s cradled. “The littlest Mandalorian and just as fierce.”</p><p>Din’s chest feels warm as he watches, and when he’s tossed again, Kuiil’s laugh echoes through the hall.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>If there were ever a perfect gift, it seems Din had found it. Kuiil’s adoration for his new armor hasn’t waned, still showing it off even to those who’ve already seen it. The Mandalorians play along, if only to see him smile so big.</p><p>He’s enchanted. Din is happy to see it.</p><p>It’s three days later that he’s returning from a sparring match and hears noise from inside their room before he’s even entered, the door wide open. He recognizes it first as the sound of a chair scraping, then falling over with a <em> bang. </em>In an instant, he sprints into the doorway. “Kui--”</p><p>He stops short.</p><p>The chair is knocked over from the table, which is pushed out of place as well, as a small figure flies through the air and lands on the bed. He jumps down again, the Force propelling him, before he lands and points one vambrace towards the table. “Wahm or cold!” he shouts. “Pshhhh!”</p><p>Din stares at him, then steps into the room. “Hey,” he says, and Kuiil jumps, turning to face him. “What’re you doing?”</p><p>Kuiil looks up at him, then at the vambrace. “It’s fire,” he says.</p><p>“What’s the game?”</p><p>Kuiil pauses, then sucks in a breath and jumps again in a fighting stance, holding up one arm like a blaster. “Boun--bounty hunners!”</p><p>“Bounty hunters,” Din says, smiling beneath the helmet. He crouches down. “So are you a hunter?”</p><p>“Yeah! The best!”</p><p>“The best hunter?”</p><p>“In the Guil! The best ever!” He holds up her arm, aiming at Din. “Din Dja-in!”</p><p>Din stares at him. “You’re… me?” he says.</p><p>Kuiil pauses, then stares at him. “No,” he says. “You’re a <em> bounty!” </em></p><p>“Oh,” Din says. “Right. I’m a bounty.”</p><p>Kuiil jumps into his stance again, pointing his vambrace. “Hands up!” he shouts. “Wahm or cold!”</p><p>Din holds back a laugh and holds his hands up. “I’ll go with warm,” he says.</p><p>Kuiil stops again and pouts. <em> “Buir,” </em>he whines. “You’re supposed to--to run. And I hun’ you!”</p><p>“You hunt me,” Din repeats. “Okay.”</p><p>Kuiil’’s arm raises again, squinting at Din. “Go!”</p><p>Din gets up.</p><p> </p><p>In past games of hide-and-seek, it’s been a simple task of waiting around a corner and then slipping into a room the kid has already looked in, closing the door behind him. But he’s more willing to play along with ‘bounty hunters’ and instead situates himself amongst a group of other Mandalorians, Ali’i, Thara, and Jaylen with them.</p><p>His back is to the wall and they all are between him and the door, enough to hide in plain sight.</p><p>“Bounty hunters?” Thara asked without looking at him.</p><p>Din pauses. “You know about this?”</p><p>“He’s been playing it since he got the beskar,” Jaylen says. “I think he’s managed to drag everyone else into it.”</p><p>“Everyone but the matriarch,” Ali’i says. “Although sooner or later, I wouldn’t be surprised. It’s just adorable.”</p><p>Din smiles to himself. Their conversation picks back up and he only half listens to it, instead watching the doorway for any signs of a little green Mandalorian. Not that he notices. He’ll look for the kid eventually, he thinks. He’d search for hours until someone stopped him.</p><p>But he’s far too cocky, when that little Mando pops up beside him, squirming onto the seat next to him. He again jumps into his stance, pointing his vambrace at him. “Got you!” he shouts. “Pshh! Cold!”</p><p>Din stares at him for a moment. “Where did you--” he starts, but Kuiil squints at him and he backtracks. “Okay. Okay. You got me. I’m your bounty.”</p><p>The kid looks smug. “Yeah,” he says, and he grabs Din’s hand, tugging. “Let’s <em> go!” </em></p><p>Thara laughs while Ali’i can barely hide one. Din’s face flushes but he plays along, standing up. The kid can’t pull him while he stands, so he instead turns and holds his arms out. “Up!”</p><p>Din looks at him. “Aren’t you the hunter?”</p><p>“Yeah. Up!”</p><p>Din picks up him and lets him sit in his arms. Then he points down the hallway. “Home!” he says, and Din smiles to himself, beginning to walk back to their room.</p><p>Halfway there, Kuiil turns and burrows against Din’s chest.</p><p>Din looks down at him and starts to rub the back of his shoulder. “Tired?” he asks.</p><p>Kuiil blinks up at him, then nods, curling tighter. “Yeah,” he mumbles.</p><p>“Am I still your bounty?”</p><p>Kuiil shifts. “No,” he says. “You’re <em> buir.” </em></p><p>“Good.”</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Mando'a:<br/>Beskar'gam -- armor<br/>Mando'ade -- sons/daughters of Mandalore<br/>Buir -- mother/father<br/>Ad'ika -- little one/son/daughter<br/>Gedeteyar -- be thankful<br/>Vor entye -- thank you (lit. I accept a debt)<br/>Ba'gedet'ye -- you're welcome<br/>Ba'vodu -- aunt/uncle<br/>Verd'ika -- little soldier</p><p>The main series has its end in sight but I do plan to write smaller one-shot moments like these that can be sprinkled around the main fics! The absolutely amazing art is by Red-Velvet-Panda.</p><p>Join the <a href="https://discord.gg/UwZuG6N">Covert discord</a>.<br/>Follow my <a href="https://coffeequill.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a>.<br/></p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>